Toy flying-machine



A. S. FERGUSON.

TOY FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEc.2, 191s.

PatentedSept. 23, 1919.

WITNESSES 1y MlVE/V TOR A TTORNEYS ARTHUR S. FERGUSON, OF SPRINGFIELD, MISSO UBI.

TOY H man/momma Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

Application filed December 2, 1918. Serial No. 265,016.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR S. FERGUSON,

' a citizen of the United States, and a resiwhich the following is a description.

My invention relates to a toy flying machine and particularly to a machine adapted to be swung'through the air at the end of a string.

Objects of the invention are to provlde a toy of the indicated character composed of elements that may be cheaply produced and readily assembled; to provide simple means to hold the assembled elements together; to provide a 'novel arrangement of elements simulating runners, running Wheels or like means forming a support for the to when not in use, and serving to steady and alance the machine when whirled through the air; and to provide an improved pinwheel simulating a propeller.

, A further object is to add to the attractiveness of toy flyin machines of the lndicated type by provi ing for the connection of the string with the machine in a manner whereby the centrifugal force generated by the whirling of the toy through the air will cause the toy to assume an angle varying with the speed, to thus simulate the flight of an actual flying machine moving in a circular path.

The above and other objects as will appear are attained by the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter particularly described.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, it bein understood that the drawing is merely i lustrative of one example of the invention. v

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a toy flying machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectlon on the line 2-2, Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectlon of the front portion of the toy as indicated by the line 3-3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section in a plane corresponding with the line Tr-'4, Fig. 1' I Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front view showing a modification employing rollers as the SUPPOItIIlgYIIlGflIIS instead of runners.

In carrying out my invention in practice, the body 10 of the machine is made in the form of an elongated vertically disposed strip of stiff paper or pasteboard shaped generally to simulate the profile of an actual flying machine and in practice is given a surface ornamentation to simulate the body of a battle plane or other particular type of machine. Upper and lower planes 11 and 12 are provided between which are posts 13, here shown as fastened by tacks 14: driven through the planes and endwise into the posts. An interlocking connection between the planes and the body 10 is effected by an upstanding tongue or fin 15 integral with the body 10 at the upper edge and extending through a corresponding slot in the upper plane 11, there being a depending tongue or fin 16 integral with the lower edge of the body and extendin through a slot in the lower plane 12, the forward end of the tongue 16 being continued to give the lower portion of the tongue a greater length than the slot of the plane so that the forward end 17 of the tongue will extend beneath the plane and give a more positive interlock. 1

I provide means to constitute a support of the machine when not in use and to serve. "as a steadying and balancing means when the machine is whirled through the air, there being employed for the purpose in the form shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, runners 18 disposed at each side of the longitudinal center of the body 10 below the bottom plane 12 and ranging parallel longitudinally of' the machine. The runners 18 or other supporting means are secured to the machine in the following manner: A transverse flat metal strip 19 is disposed at the under side of the lower plane 12 at the center and is secured to said plane by any suitable means such as paper fasteners 20. The downturned ends or flanges-21 of said plate are suitably secured as by tacks 22 to the runners 18.

In the form shown in Fig. 5 wheels 18" are employed instead of the runners and the axle 22* thereof extends through the down turned flanges 21 of the strip 19, said strip and its flanges corresponding with similar and being secured by the fasteners 20. In

both cases the strip 19 with the runners or wheels serve to stead and stabilize the machine as it is whirle through the air.

' At the rear end of the body 10 there is formed a vertical rudder 23 and a horizontal rudder 24 is provided in the form of flat pasteboard or stifi paper slotted longitudlnally from the front end for a portion of its length to pass each slde of the rear end of the body and its rudder 23, said body at the base of the rudder being slitted long1-.

v tudinally from the rear end to receive the rear portion of the horizontal rudder-.24.

On the body at the rear end at the upper edge is a rod 27 formed advantageously of wood, the same being slitted vertlcally from its rear end to receive the upper edge of the body-10 at the front end, sa1d rod extending 'beneath th' upper plane 11 and projecting forwardly beyond the body 10 a distance to receive a pinwheel .28 simulating a pro peller. The said pinwheel has its-opposlte wings 30 return bent at the front after the general manner of pinwheels and overlapped. The overlapped wings are perforated and united by an eyelet or gromet 31 in register with a larger hole 29, sald hole 29 serving to pass the body of the pinwheel onto the rod 27 while the shank of a headed pin 32 extends through the gromet and endwise intoqsaid rod. The gromet serves to maintain the body or rear portion of the pinwheel and the overlapped perforated wing s in'proper relation for sensltively responding to windpressure and the arran ement serves, also to reserve the formof e pinwheeland facilitates its attachment to the supporting rod 27. r

The string 34 whereby the machine .may'

be whirled through the air-is secured to. the

machine rearward ofthe front end and at the top for which purpose a transverse hole 33 is. formed in the tongue or fin 15, the string-bein passed through said hole and tied to sai tongue. The point of connection of the string relatively to the center of gravity of the machine is such as to balance the machine approximately horizontal or but slightly inclined to the horizontal. The arrangement is such that as the toy is whirled through the air at the end of the string 34 centrifugalforce will tend to dispose the machine with the planes 11, 12 perpendicular, due to the preponderating weight or mass represented by the supporting means 18, or 18, and their carrying plate 19 or 1 9, the result being that the angle of the elongated bodyhaving tongues thereon at machine asit travels through the air will 6.0

vary with the speed and simulate the angle of an actual flying machine moving in a c1r-- cular path. I

I would state in-conclusion that while the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself strictly to the mechanical details herein illustrated, since manifestly the same can be considerably varied without departure from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new,-and desire to secure by LettersPatent:

' 1. A toy flying machine including an plane to thereby form an interlock between the plane and body.

3. A toy flying machine including an elongated body having tongues thereon at the top and bottom, together with upper and lower planes having respectively longitudinal slots therein through which said tongues extend, the upper of said tongues having meanswhereby to attach a string for suspending the toy and whirling-it through the air. I

4:. 'A toy flying machine adapted to be whirled through the air,'upper and lower planes thereon, a transverse strip attached .to the lower plane, and means secured to said strip at opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the machine, said means forming supports for the machine when at rest and formin a balancing means when the machine is w irled through the air.

5. A toy flylng machine. including an the top and bottom, together with upper and lower planes having respectively longitudinal slots therein through which. said tongues extend, said elongated body.

having a forwardly projecting portion and 115 a wheel revolubly mounted thereon.

ARTHUR s. FERGUSON.

. I elongated body having tongues thereon at the top and bottom, together with upper and 

